Spacing pregnancies promotes better health for moms and babies

Tuesday

Jun 18, 2013 at 2:00 AM

Achieving optimal health before becoming pregnant is enhanced by good choices prior to pregnancy: getting fit, controlling weight, diagnosing and treating chronic health conditions, and eliminating health-robbing habits such as smoking, drinking alcohol and using illegal or legal drugs. Spacing between pregnancies, or interconception health, is at least as important to maintain a women's health and increase the odds of a healthy next pregnancy and baby.

Caren Fairweather

Achieving optimal health before becoming pregnant is enhanced by good choices prior to pregnancy: getting fit, controlling weight, diagnosing and treating chronic health conditions, and eliminating health-robbing habits such as smoking, drinking alcohol and using illegal or legal drugs. Spacing between pregnancies, or interconception health, is at least as important to maintain a women's health and increase the odds of a healthy next pregnancy and baby.

New moms often tell us they did not realize how much time and attention a new baby requires, and how many adjustments must be made at home, at work outside the home, and in family relationships once a new baby is in the picture.

Keeping up with rapid developmental changes in a young child can be both exhilarating and exhausting. No wonder it takes from 18 months to two years to fully recover from the physical and emotional demands of pregnancy, birthing and child raising.

During this timeframe, a woman needs time to restore her energy and her body's nutritional stores of key nutrients such as calcium, iron and folate. She may need support and help to deal with stress, postpartum sadness or depression before planning another pregnancy.

Many cultures promote a two-year waiting time between pregnancies. There is much wisdom in this practice. It allows parents to establish new routines and a new family identity. If a mother is breastfeeding, it gives mom's body a chance to recover. Deciding to space a next pregnancy allows parents to enjoy paying attention to their first baby.

In addition to adjusting to parenthood, there are health risks for babies associated with pregnancies that are spaced too close. Low birth weight, prematurity and increased risk of autism pose serious long-term risks to babies conceived fewer than six months after a prior birth.

Women are at increased risk for serious complications, too. The placenta may detach before birth or cover the cervix if the first baby was born through cesarean delivery, leading to loss of blood or even, in severe cases, maternal death. Depression and mood disorders are more common in women whose babies are spaced too closely together because of the added physical and emotional stressors, some of which may be triggered by severe nutritional deficiencies and exhaustion.

Spacing pregnancies 18 months to two years apart is best accomplished within the framework of a life plan. Career goals? Finishing school or continuing education? Financial considerations? Living conditions? How many children, how far apart? Health and wellness? Stress management? All of these decisions are inter-related.

When you decide to wait for the next pregnancy, discuss your life goals with your husband or partner, and see your health care provider to stay well and to decide what form of birth control is best for you.

Go to misn-ny.org to download your own "Show Your Love" reproductive life planning tool. Consider using it to help you decide what actions you will take for healthy pregnancy spacing.